In this article, we discuss one of our favorite sauces, Peking sauce. Its distinct combination of sweet and salty flavors gives it a distinct and unmistakable flavor.
It is impossible to taste it without being captivated by its flavor and transported to China’s Guandong province. And this delectable sauce is one of the hallmarks of Cantonese cuisine.
We explain what Peking sauce is and how it is made in this article.
If you keep reading, you’ll discover that this sauce has a plethora of culinary applications. It can improve almost any dish while also adding an oriental touch and a variety of organoleptic nuances.
What exactly is Peking sauce?
Peking sauce is a thick sauce that is dark in color and has a distinct flavor.
It is a sauce that is commonly used in Cantonese and Vietnamese cuisine.
Some people refer to this sauce as Chinese barbecue sauce. However, as we will see, it has very little to do with barbecue sauce.
It is used to glaze meats as well as to cook various types of food in the wok. It is also used as a condiment for dipping meats, vegetables, dumplings, or jiaozis in.
When we tried it, we noticed a combination of sweet and salty flavors, as well as a slight acidic note.
It has a flavor similar to sweet and sour sauce, but it is sweeter, saltier, and less acidic.
What exactly does the term “Peking” mean?
Peking is a Chinese word for seafood. This sauce, on the other hand, does not contain any seafood.
It is no longer commonly served with seafood or fish.
The origins of this denomination are unknown.
Lee Kum Kee is one of the most well-known and reputable brands that sells this tasty sauce. It is a preparation that was previously used in southern Chinese cuisine, according to this brand. It was primarily used to season fish and shellfish at the time.
Fuchsia Dunlop is an English writer who specializes in gastronomy. This author is one of the most educated and knowledgeable about Chinese cuisine. Peking sauce, according to Fuchsia, is a creation of Cantonese cuisine.
The term “Peking sauce” appears to have originated in the Canton region of southern China to refer to seafood sauces. These sauces were made with a black bean base. As a base, a type of wheat sauce was occasionally used. To add umami flavor, dried or fermented shellfish were added to this base.
As the price of seafood rose, this ingredient was no longer used to make the sauce.
According to Fuchsia Dunlop’s theory, shellfish would eventually be used exclusively in the production of Peking sauce. Although the sauce’s original name referring to the seafood originally used in its preparation would be retained.
What exactly is Peking sauce made of?
Peking sauce is made primarily of fermented soybean paste.
Other ingredients that are commonly used include:
- Garlic
- The color red.
- Vinegar.
- Sugar.
- Seeds of fennel.
- The five-spice blend from China.
Chinese 5 Spice Mix is a spice blend that is popular in Chinese and Vietnamese cuisine. It’s also found in other Arab and Asian dishes.
This mixture is made up of the following ingredients:
- Anise star.
- Clove
- Cinnamon from China.
- Pepper from Sichuan.
- Seeds of fennel.
Peking sauce comes in a variety of regional varieties. Each of these varieties may have minor differences in its ingredients.
As a result, in the Beijing area, it is common to add the following to this sauce:
- Sesame seeds are a type of seed.
- Yams.
- Rice, or even wheat, can be used
- Water.
Sweeteners, colorants, preservatives, and stabilizing agents may also be present in marketed Peking sauce.
How does it appear?
It has a very dark color that reminds me of soy sauce.
Although the texture of Peking sauce is denser and thicker than that of soy sauce, it is more akin to that of a jam.
How does Peking sauce taste? Is it spicy or sweet?
It has a very salty flavor with a slight sweet undertone. Its intense umami flavor comes from the fermented soybean paste used in its preparation.
The flavor of Peking sauce is similar to that of plum sauce, another popular Chinese sauce. It has a flavor and texture similar to plum jam. Although the flavor is similar, Peking sauce is much stronger and spicier.
Peking sauce has a similar flavor to soy sauce, but it is sweeter.
Its flavor is similar to barbecue sauce, but with acidic notes and a combination of sweet and salty flavors.
Despite the fact that chili peppers are commonly used in its preparation, it is not a spicy sauce.
How much should I apply?
Keep in mind that this sauce has a strong and intense flavor. You should be cautious if you’ve never used it before.
Begin by adding a small amount and observing how strong the final flavor is. Based on the results, gradually adjust the amount to your tastes and those of your guests.
Remember that this sauce is very dark in color. If you add a large amount, the color of the ingredients in your recipe will change.
Is gluten present in Peking sauce?
Gluten-free Peking sauce is available.
However, some commercial brands’ sauces may contain traces of gluten.
If you must consume gluten-free food, read the label carefully before purchasing Peking sauce to ensure that it contains no gluten.
Is it appropriate for vegan and vegetarian diets?
Yes. Real Peking sauce does not contain any animal-derived ingredients.
As a result, it is suitable for anyone who follows a vegan or vegetarian diet.
Nutritional Information for Peking Sauce:
Sodium levels in peking sauce are typically high. As a result, it is not suitable for people who must adhere to a low sodium diet.
On the other hand, its caloric content, while significant, is not excessive when compared to other sauces.
Where can I purchase Peking sauce?
Peking sauce is becoming increasingly common in supermarkets. Look for this sauce in the Asian ingredients or spices section of your grocery store. It will undoubtedly taste similar to soy sauce and teriyaki sauce.
If you can’t find it in the supermarket, it’s available in gourmet shops and some herbal stores. It will also be easy to find in Asian gastronomy specialty stores.
Some of the most well-known brands of Peking sauce are available for purchase on the Internet, both in specialized online stores and on Amazon.
Lee Kum Kee is one of the most well-known brands. This brand’s Peking sauce is available for purchase on Amazon at a very reasonable price.
Lee Kum Kee Peking sauce is made according to a traditional recipe. This brand’s sauce is very similar to the Peking sauce used in Cantonese cuisine.
When purchasing other brands of Peking sauce, look for the ingredients listed on the label. If you want to enjoy the delicious flavor of this sauce, avoid brands with ingredients that differ from the traditional recipe.
In the kitchen, there are several ways to use Peking sauce.
Contrary to popular belief, Peking sauce is not as widely used in Chinese cuisine as soy sauce is in other oriental cuisines.
Its use in Chinese cuisine is restricted to Cantonese cuisine, which is prevalent in the Guandong region. Cantonese cuisine, as you may be aware, is regarded as one of the world’s most diverse, surprising, and delectable cuisines.
This sauce is also commonly used to make marinades for marinating meats before cooking.
It’s a key ingredient in Char Siu, also known as Chinese pork barbecue. This dish is a traditional Cantonese pork barbecue.
To make Char Siu, the pork is cut into long strips and marinated in Peking sauce, soy sauce, honey or sugar, and a Chinese mixture of five spices, among other things. This marinade gives the meat a distinct dark color.
Peking sauce is used to make ph in Vietnamese cuisine. It is a type of noodle soup popular in the country’s south. Normally, Peking sauce is combined with Sriracha sauce in this recipe.
It’s also commonly used to glaze roast chicken or as a sauce to go with Vietnamese spring rolls.
Some ways to use Peking sauce in your cooking Ideal for spreading and glazing duck, chicken, or pork.
When preparing noodles, add a dash of Peking sauce and you’ll be back for more.
Try chopping up a chicken or duck breast. Place them in a zip-top bag with a few tablespoons of Peking sauce. Close the zip bag tightly and gently massage the bag so that the pieces of meat are well covered in sauce and impregnated.
Place the bag in the refrigerator overnight. Remove the meat from the bag the next day and sauté it in a wok. Serve with basmati rice or rice seasoned with rice vinegar.
You can saute a little carrot, garlic, and pak choi cut into very thin strips in the wok with the meat. Put this simple recipe to the test and see how it will surprise you. Sure, you’ll do it again. By adding a little to your broths and soups, you can use this sauce to add a unique flavor to your dishes.
You can also add a dash of Peking sauce to barbecue sauce, any marinade you make for meat, or any vinaigrette. It can also completely transform a dish by adding a little to a good mayonnaise.
You can also add a little of this sauce to the pulled pork to give it a different flavor. You can even spread it on your burgers in place of ketchup.
Peking sauce is also an excellent complement to:
- Dumplings
- Jiaozis
- Spring rolls are delicious.
- Pasta with wontons.
- Chicken fingers and nuggets
- If you don’t like vegetables, sauté them in a wok or skillet with some Peking sauce.
This delicious sauce will undoubtedly make it much easier for you to incorporate a variety of vegetables into your diet.
Peking sauce also goes well with some fish and shellfish. Especially for those with high-fat content, such as salmon. This sauce’s slight acidity is an excellent complement to salmon and other fatty fish.
If you want to combine fatty fish with Peking sauce, marinate it the night before. You can do it in a zip bag, just like we did with the chicken and turkey.
Place the fish on the grill or grill the next day and serve with a little sauce. Once the fish is cooked, brush it with the sauce with a kitchen brush.
What can I substitute for Peking sauce if I don’t have any?
If you have plum sauce, you can substitute it for the Peking sauce because the flavors are similar.
If you want to make it more like Peking sauce, add a little soy sauce and Chinese 5 spice mix to the plum sauce.
If you don’t have plum sauce, try using barbecue sauce instead. Soy sauce, molasses or brown sugar, sriracha sauce, and a pinch of Chinese 5-spice mix are all good additions.
The flavor of any of these substitutes is not identical to that of Peking sauce, but it is very close.
In the event that you forget to buy Peking sauce, these substitutes will come in handy.
How should I keep the Peking sauce fresh?
In general, the Peking sauce on the market today does not need to be refrigerated until we open the container.
Until then, keep the container in a dark, cool, and dry place, just like any other sauce. Check the expiration date to see how long you can consume it.
Once you’ve opened the jar, keep it well refrigerated in the fridge. This sauce keeps well even after it has been opened. This is due to its high salt content, which prevents bacteria and molds from growing.
Check that it does not have any bad odors and that it has not passed its expiration date after it has been opened.
Is it possible to make Peking sauce at home?
Yes, but you will have a difficult time locating the necessary ingredients. Unless you live in close proximity to a well-stocked Asian grocery specialty store.
Peking sauce is made primarily of fermented soybean paste. This paste is made from fermented roasted soybeans. It has the appearance of black bean paste, which is popular in Latin America.
This fermented soybean paste is difficult to come by.
You’ve probably seen recipes for Peking sauce that call for ingredients like peanut butter and molasses.
Although these recipes attempt to replicate the flavor of Peking sauce, the flavor of this sauce is primarily derived from fermented soybean paste.
If you can’t find fermented soybean paste, we recommend that you don’t try to make Peking sauce at home.
In our case, it is easier to buy Peking sauce online than it is to gather the ingredients to make it at home.
If you can’t find fermented soybean paste but still want to make Peking sauce at home, watch the video below. It includes a recipe for making this sauce without the use of fermented soybean paste.
Although the end result isn’t quite as good as an authentic traditional Peking sauce, the resemblance is undeniable. Even more so when we consider that it is not prepared with fermented soybean paste.
Peking Sauce
Here are the steps to follow to prepare the homemade peking sauce recipe shown in the video.
Ingredients
- Garlic.
- The color red.
- Vinegar.
- Sugar.
- Seeds of fennel.
- The five-spice blend from China.
- Anise star.
- Clove.
- Cinnamon from China.
- Pepper from Sichuan.
- Seeds of fennel.
Instructions
- In a skillet, combine soy sauce and rice wine vinegar.
- Add a garlic clove, grated.
- Using a few rods, vigorously stir the mixture.
- Mix in the hot sauce and sesame paste.
- Mix in some honey or agave syrup.
- Reduce the sauce to medium to medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Reduce the sauce until it has lost about a third of its volume.
- Turn off the heat when the sauce has reduced sufficiently.
- Allow 5 minutes for the sauce to cool.
- Stir in a small amount of red miso paste with a whisk until completely dissolved.
- Allow the sauce to cool completely in a clean container.
- Refrigerate the sauce after it has been made.
- Now serve it anytime you want.
Notes
- Although it is easy to obtain a container of this sauce so typical of Chinese gastronomy in large cities with well-stocked Asian supermarkets or simply online, it does not hurt to improvise a homemade version for when we feel like using it. on a plate, similar to oriental-style barbecue ribs.
- The most perplexing aspect of this sauce is, perhaps, its name, because, despite the fact that Peking literally means "seafood," the sauce does not contain seafood and does not have the taste or smell of seafood. Regardless, it is a sauce with a strong flavor that is used as a base for other dishes.
- And there are several ways to make it at home that circulate on the internet, the one I propose is one of the simplest because it does not require cooking because the thick sauce is cold due to the peanut butter. Other versions are thickened with cornstarch or even hot melted butter, but they have the disadvantage of solidifying when stored, making them more difficult to handle.
Nutrition Information
Yield
2Serving Size
1Amount Per ServingCalories 52Total Fat 1gSaturated Fat 0gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 0gCholesterol 0mgSodium 47mgCarbohydrates 12gFiber 4gSugar 6gProtein 2g
